Driving Viksit Bharat: Nirmala Sitharaman Inspires Ambassadors of Progress
● The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India, delivered the keynote address at GITAM University's Vizag Campus for the Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue program.
● Sribharat Mathukumilli, President, of GITAM University delivered the welcome address and felicitated the Union Minister during the event.
Vizag, 29 April 2024: The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India, Nirmala Sitharaman, today delivered the keynote address at GITAM University's Vizag Campus for the Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue program. She articulated the impressive strides taken over the last decade in advancing India towards Viksit Bharat. She urged the audience to actively participate in this people-driven movement, becoming catalysts for the nation's significant transformation. Sribharat Mathukumilli, President, GITAM University, delivered the welcome address and felicitated the Union Minister during the event.
During her speech, the Union Minister inspired the students to become Viksit Bharat Ambassadors and lead the Viksit Bharat journey while underscoring their potential as drivers of change and growth of the nation.
Talking about India’s economic growth over the years, she said, “India’s own efforts to make people's lives better were happening, but they were not effective. We were all stifled because of the way we ordered our economy. One-size-fits-all solutions were given. Then in 1991, we decided to open the economy. New opportunities arose, more resources came from abroad, which made us change and grow. Despite this, many things that could have happened didn’t happen. We realised that opening up has also not helped India.”
She added, “Before 2014, ten years were lost to bad policies and corruption. The economy had declined from where it was in 2004. From 12th in 2004 to 10th in 2014, why did we only move up two points in those ten dark years? Under the leadership of a visionary Prime Minister, India rose to the 5th rank. He stopped all corruption and ensured that, despite COVID, we reached the 5th place. In his third term, India will become the third-largest economy.”
During her address, the Union Minister shared key factors essential for India to ensure its GDP’s growth. She said, “Our PM has set a target that by 2047, we need to reach the destination of a developed India. We have to make efforts, so the GDP grows, and the benefits reach to all. GDP growth doesn't happen automatically; efforts are required at micro and macro levels and on the ground. The image of the country is also important, along with the ranking of your GDP. All these matters, along with per capita income calculations. Unless the GDP is widened, we are not going to be able to meet the demands of the economy. We need investment, services to grow, educational institutions, and money for people to buy houses, start businesses.”
Underlining the important role of the youth in the Viksit Bharat mission, she added,” We need 'Viksit Bharat' ambassadors to counter naysayers. We need to become a developed country for our own sake and for the sake of a bright future for India. GITAM University has devoted time and resources to quality education covering every area. It is always a pleasure to come here."
Her address, followed by interactive Q and A session with the attendees, sparked a lively exchange of ideas and inquiries about India's progress over the last decade and the envisioned path to Viksit Bharat by 2047. Students enthusiastically raised queries about India’s economic progress, tax reforms, banking reforms, budget allocation to the education sector, and many more. This session stimulated insightful conversations and fostered a shared dedication to actualising the vision of a developed India by 2047.
The Union Minister also engaged in a session with leading professionals and entrepreneurs from the city, discussing the significant progress made over the past decade, from economic progress to the startup ecosystem boom, and the crucial role professionals play in driving the nation forward. In an interactive session, entrepreneurs and professionals posed questions to the Union Minister on improving the ease of doing business, incentivising entrepreneurship, fostering an environment for international trade, supporting small and medium enterprises, and more.
Sribharat Mathukumilli, President, GITAM Deemed to be University, lauded the Government’s efforts for India’s development and highlighted the important role of students in building a developed nation. He said "The Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue program is aimed at empowering students to become ambassadors for building a developed India. Students have a significant role to play, and we encourage them to dream big. There are tremendous opportunities, such as in Vizag, where there is a medtech zone with over thousands of employees. People there are developing biomedical devices, and manufacturing medical equipment, addressing preventive healthcare issues etc., can be significant avenues for growth.”
“I express my gratitude to the Honourable Minister for her encouragement. It's rare to have politicians like her, who are free from corruption and work honestly for the development of their country. She is one of the few leaders who get the job done without any nonsense. We need more leaders like her, which is why the Prime Minister has entrusted her with so many responsibilities."
The Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue united over 1,200 students from diverse fields such as Engineering, Medicine, Architecture, Law, and Humanities. The event was enriched by the presence of university faculty members, prominent entrepreneurs, and professionals from the city and served as a platform for insightful discussions and interactions. Initiatives like the Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue align with GITAM University’s efforts to prepare the youth to step forward and make meaningful contributions to collectively achieve the dream of building a developed India by 2047.
About the Viksit Bharat Ambassador Program:
140 Crore Indians have shown the world what people-powered development is.
Each and every one of us, by doing our bit, is a proud Viksit Bharat Ambassador. To formalise this sentiment of nation-building, growth, and progress, the Hon’ble Prime Minister has formally launched the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador Program.’ This movement is a clarion call by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to one and all to join this people-powered movement and help India become Viksit Bharat by 2047.
